My cousin built that boat last year and he also found problems with the forms which he solved with some head scratching and a few calls to the designer.

Greg

> My wife and I heard of Rob Macks North Star several years ago by a friend
> of ours Sue Hutchens. She had tryed one during a demo in Georgen
> Bay,Ontario. So when Sue said she liked the boat it stuck with both
> Theresa (My Wife)and myself. New to the net, I fould Rob Macks web sight
> and the North Star( Rob's version of a Badarka). Being both Theresa and I
> are handy around wood, we desided to order the plans at once. While
> waiting for our plans to arrive from Rob we fould Nick Schade's,THE STRIP
> BUILT SEA KAYAK book on the web it sounded like it could be the ultimate
> work on the subject. Theresa and I fould the book in a local book store
> that night and by the time Rob's plans arived a few days later Theresa and
> I had read Nick's book cover to cover twice! Great read Nick THANKS. Now I
> am a designer by trade, I work in the specalty outdoor market, high
> quality tents, packs, sleeping bags, and outdoor clothing. Now I no thats
> not boat designing, but when I looked Rob's plans I was nerves, something
> did not look right.. Rob's plans are printed in individual stations, not a
> stack of them one on top of another. We started reading his work book that
> talked about using upwards of 25 to 30 pec. Of wood just to far up the
> boat! A bell went off in my head and tought that instead of building the
> boat using standard strong back like in canoe building (as Rob
> recommends), I would go to plan "B" and adapt the stations to
> Nick Schade interal kayak strong back, this would decrease the amount of
> wood strips to far up the boat to next to nun! So all I had to do was to
> aline all Rob's stations and draw them on a single peice of paper then
> with all stations in alinement like thay would on the interal strong back,
> or any strong back, I would just need to draw placement hole
> (2"x4") in a location that get me through the most number of
> stations, then use Rob's end forms then I would be done. My first surprise
> when I was drew in Rob's whole number stations (Rob has whole and half
> number stations, whole number stations are between 20 and 20 1/2"
> apart on the strong back [Aprox] and the half number stations are to be
> placed some were between at whatever intervil that makes the boat fair),
> the shear line was not gradual from bow and stern. The sheer line weaved
> up and down by a 1/2" or so (not a smooth arc.). The next interesting
> thing I noted was between the front deck stations the deck diped below the
> nose, not unusual for a sea kayak, but is it normal for it to dip below
> then above then below again? OH THIS GETS BETTER! Next I add in the
> 1/2" stations to my drawing, the half stations definately are not
> fair. If the hull stations are fair the deck stations are not, if the deck
> stations are far the hull is not. and only at randum do the sheer lines
> line up. I called Rob about this and he was not able to help or answer my
> questions. I asked if he had ever tryed this fairing excercise? He said he
> had not.

> Being new to building boats, but not to paterns, I think my concerns are
> valid? Rob says hundreds of the north star kayak's have been built using
> his plans! I expect any one that has built this boat from these plans has
> faired the hull first then built it, then taking the stations off the
> hull, re-fair them for the deck then build it. and when it came time to
> match the sheer lines a lot of planing would be required to make the two
> half's fit.

> 1/ Any one ever built a Laughing Loon "NORTH STAR"?

> 2/ Am I being paranoid? Will it work?

> 3/ Has anyone ever adapted plans to make it with a internal strong

> back as per Nick Schade's book? Is this the way I do this?

> 4/ Dose any know any other BADARKA plans avalable?

> Thanks for reading Theresa and My story, I hope that I have not come
> across to strong in my explanation of this, Theresa and I just don't want
> to go through hundrads of hours of building only to find out on launch day
> that this boat is not fair. I am new to the net and new to talking to
> other about this stuff in type, sorry if I offended any one, I am just
> tring to learn to build boats. Happy paddling, Cheers: Brian.